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M88 Puma Anti-Tank Vehicle
The is a UNSC armoured vehicle. The Puma is designed to engage enemy vehicles at long ranges and from behind cover, allowing it to engage heavy armour without exposing itself. These AFVs are armed with a battery of long range anti-tank missiles. Carrying four BGM-89 Venom missiles, it can attack threats beyond visual range. Carrying four in external launch bins, and twelve more internally, it can be reloaded from inside the vehicle. It is used by UNSCMC Light Armour Recon, UNSC Army Dragoons and Army Light Mechanized units. The vehicle is built up from a titanium alloy chassis with bolted on mixed titanium/composite/AEGIS ceramic plating, giving it enough strength to withstand up to 70mm high velocity guns, though it's armour is compromised near instantly. It is powered by a powerful V8 hydrogen powerpack which burns the hydrogen fuel at a very high temperature with a synthetic carbon/silicon catalyst to achieve even better fuel consumption, allowing it to reach speeds of 107KPH. The engine powers all eight wheels. These powerpacks also power the on-board communications, sensors the gun and other electronic systems. The wheels each have independent adaptive suspension using adaptive Magneto-rheological dampers to ensure comfort, stability, control and agility and use nanotube skeleton run-flat tires, providing all the benefits of normal tires, with none of the drawbacks while being nigh-indestructible. on top of that, each wheel has titanium composite rims and fully articulate and individual suspension, with the front four being supported by titanium alluminide/AEGIS composite tire shields, protecting them from further harm. Each wheel can, individually, have its pressure modified to adjust its cross country ability. It features a V shaped sealed hull, with a high concentration of non-newtonian material with heavily sloped armour and ability to become amphibious, to a limited extent, allowing it to cross rivers and lakes to combat the enemy. It's raised engine exhausts also feature thermal shrouds to disguise the vehicle during operations. The vehicle contains a weight transference system linked to gyroscopes to achieve a perfect balance even over rough terrain, transferring inbuilt weights and fuel to keep the vehicle balanced and stable. The computer controlled power distribution system can distribute the power to each wheel accurately enough to maintain enough traction to keep it mobile and all wheels operate by a triple redundant drive-by-light control system. Like all hydrogen powered vehicles in the UNSC, it features a inbuilt AMG H/G Actuator. It is capable of converting up to 12 liters of water (from any source) into hydrogen quickly and efficiently, compacting any non-convertible detritus within the water on board and allowing a range of 200 kilometres from just overnight condensation catchments. This allows it to operate almost indefinitely in the field, where a supply of water is plentiful. The vehicle has a hydraulic ram door to the back and doors on each side, all three being equipped with emergency explosive bolts to remove them in case of severe damage or emergencies. On the roof it has a pair of opening doors and two hatches for the commander and gunner. The armour is covered in radiation protective liquid glass resins, infra-red suppressive paint and LIDAR/RADAR absorbent paint. The Driver is sat in the up armoured 'combat tub' which is the forward chamber, with heavily upgraded armour and has single crystal quartz glass windows, with self regenerative features and self polarising protective features (from blinding LASERs and bright flashes) and gold tinting to protect from electromagnetic interference, which can resist even heavy fire, from 70mm cannons, at least for brief periods. The Driver can lift up the forward screen to allow easy access, escape or just raise it slightly for unhindered observance. Sat behind the driver is the main gunner, with a holographic weapons station for controlling the main gun system, with a universal bus that allows any single vehicle to be adapted to use any number of weapon systems. Sat to the left in the main hull in the 'operations' seat is the Commander, who has access to the defensive turret and the electronic warfare and defensive systems, allowing him to provide short range support for disembarking soldiers. The vehicle's main armament is a battery of six BGM-89 Venom Anti Tank Guided Weapons. These are mounted on a turntable launcher with its own cluster of sighting systems, with a LIDAR/range finder, optical sight with digital zoom and infra-red. It mounts an AESA RADAR. The launcher can link up to air, space of ground reconnaissance reconnaissance to find, lock on to and engage the target. This allows it to engage six individual vehicles at once from long range. The vehicle can engage without line of sight, from behind cover and dense foliage. The missile has twelve reloads, preloaded in boxes. The commander has a linked PALADIN Weapon Station to provide close in defence against threats. In a Marine Light Armour Battalion, a single platoon equipped with Pumas. Dragoon Regiments also have a single Puma platoon. Light Mechanized Regiments take a company full of Pumas for support. UNSC Remarks "The Puma gives our recon brigades a lot of flexibility. Now we have what is effectively a micro missile artillery weapon capable of taking down tanks with or without line of site." "You best let the computer system handle targeting fast moving vehicles. Once its tagged them, it won't let them go. Neither will the missiles." "The VENOM ATGW are great. They are programmed to hit the top of tanks, where their armour is weaker, usually providing a first kill hit. However, that's providing it can recognise what is the top."